Tag Archives: Supergirl

Hello everyone, this is Kay G. As always, its been awhile so finally here’s another one from me. Today we will be discussing Supergirl: Being Super. A comic I was little bit skeptical to read since I’m not a huge Supergirl fan. Although, I have to say I was very surprised how much I actually liked it. Written by Mariko Tamaki and art by Joëlle Jones, the story shows a teenage Supergirl going through regular teenage problems. It’s a great coming of age story for the young super hero who has to make a lot of difficult discussions.

Along with the art the writing in this comic is fantastic, filled with great images the story real makes an impact. The writer gives Supergirl a vulnerably, to make believe that even though she has powers and strength she is still impacted by tragic events. Supergirl is finding difficulty with her problems along with regular teenage puberty coming about. When faced in a bind, she is forced to make a heart wrenching choice that leads to a fatality of someone she loves. This act changes her; it not only affects her as a person, but the ability to use her powers correctly.

I love how insecure she feels, how helpless. Tamkai really focuses on the underlining of a teenage girls problems and the pressure that comes with it. Even if some of Jones art can be questionable in some panels and possibly taken the wrong way, the art matches well with the story; super Kryptonian zit and all.

The writing is great, real and it speaks to the reader and makes you understand Supergirl’s emotions. You feel for her as the reader and I can’t wait to see more of where this story goes. Even for a mini-series; which I feel are usually more successful, the story telling is very much worth the time. I can’t wait to see what happens next, so if you readers want to check out something great and want to learn a little about Supergirl, check out Supergirl: Being Super #1.

Highlights

In terms of action, not much actually happens in Supergirl #1. In some ways, it reiterates some of what already happened in the Rebirth issue.

Still, writer Steve Orlando does a great job emphasizing the division Kara Zor-El feels between her old utopian life on Krypton, versus the difficulty, noise, and primitiveness of Earth life. I laughed at Orlando’s portrayal of Supergirl’s adjustment issues, because it reminds me of adult life: the more knowledge and technical skills you’ve amassed, sometimes you find difficulty performing or solving even rudimentary tasks. Kara’s problems were very relatable.

More than that, Orlando excelled at showing how this dichotomy affects Kara. She’s tormented: she’s an orphan (for all intents and purposes), having lost her life, prestige, and culture, stuck on a world that she can’t relate to in any fashion. Even her foster parents/handler’s attempts to make Kara feel any semblance of home falls flat. It was a great series of points that shows that Kara has so many hurdles to endure before she can be the heroine she aspires to be.

Penciler Brian Ching’s emotive cues on the characters work very, very well with Orlando’s script to make the characters dynamic.

Lowlights

Compared with Emanuela Lupacchino’s art from the Rebirth issue, I did not find Brian Ching’s art a welcome change. At times, Ching’s art flip-flopped between what would fit with a superhero comic, to far too sketch-like and lacking sufficient detail. The pencils are almost too sharp, too simple, and childish for my tastes–at least so far as my expectations from the last issue to this. The inconsistencies bothered me more often than not.

But again, Ching still manages to capture the emotion in Orlando’s writing when dealing with the cast…even Cameron Chase’s stiff and stoic demeanor.

I have the same issues regarding colorist Michael Atiyeh. Some of the time I felt the colors given were plain. Still, he could capture a striking set of colors when Supergirl travels in space. Perhaps this is an intentional point towards the dichotomy in this issue? If so, then Atiyeh deserves much more credit than I’m giving.

Recap

In some ways I’m torn by this premier issue of Supergirl. This one of those times where the writing very much supersedes the art, and both are very important.

I much preferred Emanuela Lupacchino’s take on Supergirl, so Brian Ching’s inconsistent pencils did little for me. However, he captures Steve Orlando’s effective emotive cues with the characters effectively that he gains more points than he loses. Still, this was a very worthwhile read.

Orlando’s taken Supergirl’s typical “lost daughter of Krypton” motif and really knows how to hammer home Kara’s emotions and loss, and the fact that Kara believes that she has little to be optimistic about. She is still trying to find her place in the DC universe, and I think she’s in good hands with Steve Orlando.

Hello, hello, this is D.C. here to throw down on one of DC’s Rebirth titles I bought on a chance:

I admit, I thought this cover of Supergirl: Rebirth was pretty silly and out of character, but I digress…

A Foreword Complaint…

I have given many books in DC’s Rebirth line a shot, and my honest opinion…I’ve not been very impressed. I know the vocal crowd has been more than pleased with DC’s backtracking to fix its “mistakes” with the New 52, but I like progression in my fiction:

I’m not excited at all that Dick Grayson is Nightwing. Again. I actually preferred he’d stayed as Batman.

I’m not charmed by the cheesiness of the Titans and their not-so-new lineup, fighting old villains. AGAIN.

I wasn’t pleased to see the first arc of Action Comics be a destructive and desperate battle between old Superman and Doomsday. AGAIN. Lex Luthor, even though I dislike him, was treated as more like a bystander than the main character he was supposed to be.

I did not need Green Arrow and Black Canary to be in any sort of relationship, nor his liberalism being beat to death. AGAIN.

The Flash? Don’t even get me started on the lackluster pacing and uninteresting first arc.

The art alone kept me from finishing both Batgirl and Batgirl and the Birds of Prey.

I love the Justice League as a team, but the book just isn’t doing it for me at the moment. I feel it lacks excitement.

I was so very excited for Green Lanterns, but Sam Humphries’ pacing, lack of character development, and nonsense millennial writing with Jessica Cruz has soured the experience for me already. Jessica would rather play with her POKEMON than fight the Red Lanterns? Seriously?

I am most livid that Rebirth, which DC claims is still the New 52 continuity, has somehow forced the Wildstorm and Vertigo characters into limbo. It’s more apparent that DC is pushing more of the old stuff and ignoring the newer stuff, rather than simply incorporating the old elements. I don’t care that ONE miniseries is coming; Apollo and Midnighter aren’t the whole of Wildstorm. Same goes for Constantine and Vertigo.

I have enjoyed Batman and Detective Comics, both of which introduced new concepts and characters. Surprisingly, I’ve enjoyed Aquaman the most thus far.

My point is…I know that the two-party debate between Marvel and DC is classic for comic nerds. Fans will always praise one and damn the other. People are happy that DC is going “back to basics,” but I’m not one of them. I don’t believe going backwards equates to good story-telling. It’s a bit soon to say how Rebirth will go, but it’s really not off to a good start for me at all. I am hoping for better.

On the other hand, I felt better about buying Supergirl: Rebirth.

Highights

I was actually surprised at how much I enjoyed Supergirl. I hadn’t read much of New 52 Supergirl, but I hoped to get enough information to understand what was going to happen into Rebirth. How the heck did Kara Zor-El get wrapped up in the Department of Extranormal Operations? How was she going to get her powers back? What will this series be going forward?

Well, much of that was addressed in this issue quite succinctly by Steve Orlando. The manner in which Supergirl regained her powers was pretty believable, though I wish a more detailed explanation were given. Still, Supergirl comes back, strong and confident.

(In light of the DEO having a regeneration matrix…If the DEO could have one, this kind of goes against the Superman: Rebirth. I recall issue stating that the matrix didn’t exist in the New 52/Rebirth universe. Pre-Flashpoint Superman easily could’ve made one, since he was able to make his own Fortress of Solitude…Kinda makes you wonder about the consistency…)

Orlando portrayed Supergirl well in my eyes. What’s most important to me is that this was Supergirl, not “a female version of Superman.” She was shown as a strong and courageous, yet hardened, woman. She was compassionate and dynamic during her brief tussle with Lar-On. I enjoyed Orlando’s presentation of Kara.

Emanuela Lupacchino’s art was pretty good. Hers is certainly the best art from all the women artists I’ve viewed up to this point, and I love the strength she add gives to Supergirl to supplement Orlando’s script.

Recap

Supergirl: Rebirth gives me some optimism. I enjoyed this short story by Steve Orlando. He did a good job laying down the foundation for the series going forward: Supergirl, DEO agent and high schooler.

There are some things I hope for in the Supergirl series:

It should tie in to the events that caused Rebirth in the first place. If Supergirl is going to be an agent of the DEO , then I expect to see her, Cameron Chase and the DEO converge somewhere with Batman’s, the Flash’s, and the Titans’ investigations.

The difficulty Supergirl will have reconciling her Kryptonian upbringing with both human and American culture. That’ll be even more interesting to her overall development.

Cameron Chase is such a b****, so I want to see more of the dynamic between her and Supergirl.

Of course, further meetups with the pre-Flashpoint Superman and his family. What can that Superman bring to her that the New 52 version couldn’t?

If Orlando can address these all in authentic fashion (including building up on that ominous ending with the Cyborg Superman), I think this book will go very well.